Dry pipe valve



My 12, 1931. d w. B. GRIFFiTH 1,805,241

DRY PIPE VALVE Filed sept. A2S, 1926 2 sheets-sheet 1` .FIG/.1.

Jorney May l2, 1931. w. B. GRIFFITH 1,805,241

DRY PIPE VALVE Filed Sept.- 23, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 35 Y 3 Inventor 90 W Z/'Z l 60m-. ari/765%@ Patented May 12, 1931 zKVIl'JLlLlllvfI B. GRIFFTH, OF AUDUBON, NEVI JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO STAR SPRINKIZCHR- PATEN OFFEC CORPGRATION, A. CORPORATON OF NEW' JERSEY DRY PEPE VALVE Application led September 23, 1926. Serial No. 137,218.

My invention relates to improvements in dry pipe valves adapted for use in sprinkler systems. Valves of this type comprise a water valve and an air valve of largerl area than the water valve, whereby a low air pressure confined in the system and acting upon the air valve will hold the water valve closed against a higher water pressure. Valves of this type are well known in the le art.

The object of my invention is to provide lever mechanism between the air and water valves for increasing the effective force eX erted by the air valve upon the water valve l5 thus permitting the area of the air valve to be reduced relatively to the size of the water valve and permitting a general reduction in the size of the dry pipe valve; a further object of my invention is to provide novel means 2Q for preventing the reseating of the valves after they have started to open; and a still further object of my invention is to provide a novel means for positively controlling the drip valve forming part of the dry pipe 25 valve.

Referring tothe accompanying drawings. Fig. 1, is a central vertical sectional view of my improved dry pipe valve, showing the valve clapper in the closed position; Fig.

3e 2, is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the clapper in the partially opened position in full lines and in the full opened position in dotted lines; Fig. 3, is a partial transverse sectional view on the line 3-3 Fig. 1; Fig.

35j 4 is a horizontal sectional view on line 44 Fig. 1; and Fig. 5, is a detached sectional plan view of the clamp ring and bearing member shown in Fig. 4.

In the drawings, in which like reference 4o; characters refer to like parts, 1 represents the body or casing of the dry pipe valve having an inlet pipe 2 and an outlet pipe 3. Said inlet pipe is provided with a water valve seat 5, located within the casing and adapted to 451 be closed by a water valve 6. Said casing is provided with a flange 8 on which is mounted the air valve seat 10 which is positioned in an oblique plane relatively to the water valve seat 6, which latter is positioned in a 5G horizontal plane. The casing 1 is also provided with a drip valve seat 12 and the usual removable side plate 13 and plugs 14 and 15.

The valve clapper 16 is mounted upon a rigid frame, or arms 18, which are pivotally mounted upon a shaft 20 having its ends supported upon the casing 1 in any suitable manner, and upon which shaft the clapper 16 is adapted to swing into the open and closed positions, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The clapper 16 consists of a hollow dome shaped body 21, provided with an annular flange 22 having a facing surface upon its under edge to which is secured the air valve 23, by a clamp-ring 24, which is secured to the flange 22, by fastening devices 25, whereby the eXible air valve 23 may rest upon the seat 10 and close the latter.

The clamp-ring 24 forms a means for carrying the water valve 6, which is adapted to rest upon and close the water valve seat 5. The clamp-ring 24 is provided with arms or webs 27 and 28 which support the bearings 30, in which a shaft 32 is loosely mounted. Said bearings 30 extend from the plane of the webs 27 and 28 into the hollow portion of the dome shaped body 21 of the clapper 16, but are not secured to said body 21 otherwise than by the clamp-ring 24. The longitudinal movement of said shaft 32 is limited by the bosses 34 and 35 forming vertical walls within said body 21.

A lever is pivotally mounted at one end 41 thereof upon said shaft 32 carried by the clapper 16. Said lever 40 carries the water valve 6, which latter swings into the open and closed'positions with the clapper 16. The lever 40 is provided with a hemisph-erical bearing head 43 which fits loosely into a socket 44 of similar shape formed in the center of the valve 6. At the base of the head 43 is an annular groove 45, into which extends the inner edge of a split collar 46 which is secured to the valve 6 by fastening devices 47. A slight rocking movement of the valve 6, in relation to the lever 40 is permitted by the loosely fitting collar 46. The movement of the lever 40 about the shaft 32 is limited by stop plates 48 and 49 upon the central web portion of the clampwhich extends nearly at right angles to the line between the sha and the bearing' head 13. The outer end 51 oi said arni 5') is adapted to engage a part 53, secured in the casing 1, which forms a stop against which the arin 50 is fulcrurned. ldlhen the clapper 1G is in the Closed position, as shown in Fir/g. 1, the lever 40 acts as a bell-cranl-lever, having' its tulcrum against the fixed stop 53, so that the downward pressure ot the clapper 16 will exert an increased force upon the water valve 6, due to the arrangement of the lever 4.0. Said lever 40 acts a strut between the shaft 32 and the bearing' head L13, which strut is positioned at an oblique angle to the plane of the water valve 6, when closed upon its seat 5, thus tending to force the water valve towards its seat and also tendine; to slide the valve 6 away from the shaft 20. Said sliding` movementof the valve (l is resisted by the arin 5() which forms a strut positioned at oblique angle to the valve (i and inclined towards the stop 53 abutting said stop, so th. the strut arm 50 and the stop 53 will take a large part ofthe torce exerted by the water pressure against the under side of the water valve 6 and reduce the action ot said force of said water pressure again st the elapper 16.

The work exerted by the air pressure upon the upper side ot the clapper 1G is applied to the end 41 of the lever L10, throueh the shaft 32, and the work done by the lever 40 at the bearing head 43 will be greater than the work applied to the end t1 of the lever 40 by the clapper 1C, as the bearing head 43 is positioned between the shaft 32 of the clapper and the tiXed 'tuleruin stop 53 on the casing.

A further gain in leverage is obtained by positioning,y the sha'tt 32 slightly closer to the pivot shaft 20 of the clapper 16 than it woind be if located on a plane perlrendicular 'to the center of the circular air valve 23. he supporting websQT oit the clamp-ring are longer than the webs Q3, as shown in 1, 4f and 5, thus reduc-ingr vthe distance be tween the fulcruin shaft 2O and the line ot force extending between the shaft 352 and the bearing head 43 of the lever 40, relatively to the centerot the air valve 23.

By arrangingl the lever 40, as above described, a given air pressure above the air valve 23 and clapper 1G, will hold the water f'alve 6 uponl its seat against i, niuch lirrester pressure acting against the under side ot said valve G.

The valves G and 23 and the elapper lo will be moved I into the open po...

shown in Fig'. Q, by the action of the water pressure below the water valve G, when the air pr sure in the svstein is reduced and the air val e Q3 is relief. ed troni the air pressure which has been holding,` it upon its seat 10. ln the opening nioveinent of the chipper 1G, the wet-er pressure li'tts the *.vater valve (i, which li l'tinp` inovenient et the valve G causes the levi f impart a liftingnioven'ient to the sha1J 32, thus tending,- to s\-,'in;l the clapirie: 1G about the shaft 2U. The .first swinging movement ot the chipper causes the end .31 ot the lever arni 5l) to slide from under tulcriun stop 53 lllhcn the arni 5U is l`ree troni said stop a the clapper 1G will be ce'1 about the sha'L 2t), into the open pocarrying.;v with it the air valve Q3, the water valve G, as shown in dotted lines Fig. 2.

tu arin GO is pivotally niounted upon a shaft G1 secured in the casing 1. m

ne tree end of said arni GO is positioned between the upper side ot the water valve G and the under side of the lever arm when the valves and clapper are in the closed position, as shown in Fig'. 1. rl`he opening movement; of the .er valve t3 exerts a positive action against erin GO and nieves the latter about the G1 and forces the end of the arin 6() inst the stop 53, shown in Fig'. 2.

ine water valve 6 may swing tree from unler the end of the arin and be carried into l open position but return towards the sed position, the arm 50 will prevent the ter valve 6 and also the air valve 23 from vating; due to said arin GO occupying ka posit-ion, shown in Fig. 2, in the return path of the end 51 of the arm 50 on the lever -l-(l, making it impossible for the valves G to close upon their seats. y 2 shows the cla-pper in full lines with lves 6 and 23 held in the partially open L ln this position the arin (30 and the lever act as toggle levers with the arm GO iorced against the stop 53 and the shaft 61, and the lever 1.140 forced a-oainst the sha'tt 3L, or the stop plate at), ol the :lapper 1G, which latter communicates the force to the pivot she-.tt 2t) fixed in the casing, thus insuring the air valve 23 and the water valve G being held of? their respective seats.

A drip valve is located within the casing' 1 and normally held ol'll the drip-valve seat 12, by a lever arin 67 forming part ot' the arm 60, aoove described. The drip valve G5 loosely pivoted to the lever arrn (57 by i, pin G9. lf We. the water valve G is closed t 'i drip valve of) is held in the open posi ion, aown in Figi' 1 and when the water valve i is nioved olif its seat the arm (Sl) .is inoved y a positive iiorce into a position which will force the drip valve G5 into the closed posi tion as shown in Fig. 2. The weight of the drip valve 65 will tend to hold itin the closed position and also hold the arm 60 against the block 53 but the weight of the parts cannot be depended upon to move the drip valve and the arm 60 as they may stick due to corrosion; by my improved construction a positive movement of the parts is insured.

l claim:

l. A dry pipe valve comprising a casing having an air valve seat and a water valve sea-t formed therein, a clapper pivoted upon the casing, an air valve, a clamp-ring secured to the clapper adapted for holding the air valve upon the clapper, a bearing mounted upon said clamp-ring, a shaft in said bearing, a lever having one end pivoted upon said shaft, a water valve pivotally mounted upon said lever, a part upon the casino' forming a stop, and an arm fixed to the lever adapted to engage said stop when the water valve is in the closed position upon the Water valve seat.

2. A dry pipe valve having an air valve seat and a water valve seat 'formed therein, a clapper pivoted upon the casing, said clapper having a hollow hemispherical body thereon, an air valve, a clamp-ring adapted for securing the air valve to said body, a bearing upon said clamp-ring located within said body, a lever pivotally mounted in said bearing, and a water valve pivotally secured to said lever adapted to be moved into the open and closed positions with said clapper relatively to the valve seats.

3. A dry pipe valve comprising a casing having an air valve seat formed therein, a water valve seat located in the casing in a diiilerent plane from the air valve seat, a clapper pivoted within the casing, an air valve upon the clapper adapted to close upon the air valve seat, a member pivotally mounted on the clapper, a stop upon the clapper located in the path of said pivoted member, a water valve pivoted upon said member, an arm pivoted upon the casing having its free end located between the water valve and said member when the water valve is closed upon its seat, and said arm adapted to be moved by the water valve into a position to engage said member upon a return movement of the latter towards the water valve seat and move said member against said stop to prevent the water valve from reseatino.

e. A dry pipe valve comprising a casing having an air valve seat formed therein, a water valve seat located in the easing in a diiferent plane from the air valve seat, a clapper pivoted within the Casin g, an air valve upon the clapper adapted to close upon the air valve seat, a lever having one end pivoted upon the clapper, a stop upon the clap per located in the path of said lever to limit the swinging movement of the lever relatively to the clapper, a water valve pivotally mounted upon said lever, an arm rigidly fixed to said lever, a part upon the casing forming a stop against which said arm abuts when the water valve is upon the water valve seat, an arm pivoted upon the casing having its free end located between the water valve and thearm upon the lever adapted to be moved against said stop by the opening movement or" the water valve and occupy a position in the return path of the end of the arm upon said lever whereby said arms will abut endwise and move the lever against the stop on the olapper and prevent the reseating of the water valve.

In testimony whereotl l aflix my signature.

VILLIAM B. GRIFFITH. 

